UAB HealthSmart Honored as Finalist in the National 2012 Jackson Healthcare Hospital Charitable Service Awards

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – With less than a year under its belt, UAB HealthSmart has been recognized as a finalist in the 2012 Jackson Healthcare Hospital Charitable Service Awards, a national initiative that celebrates programs seeking innovative ways to improve community health and access to health-care education and services. Jackson Healthcare, the fourth largest health-care staffing company in the United States, created the awards in 2010 to identify programs across the country that give back to their communities in remarkable, sustainable ways.

UAB HealthSmart, an innovative wellness and prevention center in downtown Birmingham, works to lower rates of chronic disease through free comprehensive health profiles, nutrition and fitness classes and consultations, health education talks, and other preventive services. The facility has served more than 1,100 people since opening in March 2011.

Out of close to 200 nominees, UAB HealthSmart was selected as one of 38 finalists.

“This is a great honor as UAB HealthSmart’s first year draws to a close,” says Mona Fouad, MD, MPH, Director of the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine and the UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC), which operate UAB HealthSmart. “We are grateful to receive this recognition of the important work we are doing to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and stroke in the Birmingham community, and we look forward to impacting even more lives during our second year.”

The UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Center (MHRC) is a comprehensive educational, research, and community outreach center focused on eliminating health disparities of racial/ethnic minorities and underserved populations locally, regionally, and nationally. Since opening in fall 2002, the center has helped expand the health disparities research program at UAB and partner institutions, increased the number of scholars pursuing careers in health disparities, and improved the lives of thousands of low-income, minority residents. The UAB MHRC is an NIMHD/NIH-designated Center of Excellence in Health Disparities Research. For more information about the UAB MHRC or UAB HealthSmart, visit www.UABMHRC.com.